Nick Gugger, an observer representing the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights from Switzerland, faced denial of entry to Azerbaijan upon his arrival at Baku Airport on February 4.
Swiss media reported that Nick Gugger, who was on an official and accredited mission to observe the presidential election and report on human rights violations in Azerbaijan, expressed his dismay over the situation. Gugger, an experienced election observer with prior missions in Russia and Moldova, characterized the events as a “scandal.”
Upon landing in Baku, Gugger was stopped by uniformed police officers at the diplomatic entrance, who confiscated his passport and prevented his entry into the country. Interestingly, other OSCE observers, including the Swiss delegation, were reportedly allowed entry without any issues.
Gugger, describing the incident as a “sad situation,” highlighted the unusual nature of the Azerbaijani regime’s rejection of the observer mission, marking a new level of escalation in his view.
The Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged the denial of entry, emphasizing that preventing a registered OSCE observer from entering the country is a rare diplomatic insult. The reasons behind Gugger’s exclusion remain unclear, but speculations include potential links to his activities in the Council of Europe. Recently, Azerbaijan had announced its refusal to accept election observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The Swiss media further emphasized that Gugger might have been blacklisted due to his stance on the Karabakh conflict. Gugger had openly criticized the Azerbaijani army’s actions in Nagorno-Karabakh, expressing his concerns about the expulsion of Christian Armenians.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the denial of entry, characterizing it as disappointing and indicative of Azerbaijan’s distance from being a constitutional state. Additionally, the report mentioned Azerbaijan’s position in the democracy index, ranking 134th among 167 countries according to the British “Economist” magazine.
Gunel Isakova, assistant to OSCE/ODIHR Parliamentary Affairs Officer Ivana Stanojev, confirmed awareness of Gugger’s situation and mentioned ongoing investigations by relevant departments into the matter.
